Page 426 - Between One and Many The Art and Science of Public Speaking

Chapter 14 Persuasive Speaking 393

persuaded by the appeal–to jump on the bandwagon, so to speak. In a sense,
they accept social support as a form of grounds for the argument.

Scarcity
The appeal to scarcity is based on the law of supply and demand. It is a maxim
in economics that when demand exceeds supply, the value of the commodity in-
creases. Thus, an appeal based on scarcity is also one based on relative value. As
is the case with reciprocity, authority, and social support, people are conditioned
to believe that something that is scarce is valuable enough to demand their at-
tention. Persuasive speeches about the environment frequently use scarcity as
the basis of appeal. For instance, the ecological benefi t of the rain forests is made
even more valuable when the speaker tells the audience that the world’s rain for-
ests are disappearing at an alarming rate.

Commitment
One of the most powerful methods of persuasion is the appeal to commitment.
In the aftermath of September 11, 2001, millions of Americans made the com-
mitment to donate blood. Even when the blood banks were overwhelmed with
more donors than they could take, people were encouraged to pledge that they
would come back at a later date when blood supplies needed replenishment.
When people make even small commitments as a result of a persuasive message,
the principle of psychological consistency comes into play. This principle tells us
that we all feel pressure to keep our attitudes, beliefs, and values consistent with
our commitments. If an appeal to commitment leads a person to write a letter, to
volunteer, or to sign a petition, it increases the chances that the person’s attitudes,
beliefs, and values will refl ect the commitment. In some cases, action may actu-
ally precede changes in attitude, reversing the normal order of persuasive goals.
To reiterate, the appeals you make in your persuasive message should refl ect
your goal and your audience. Not all audiences jump aboard the bandwagon
after hearing an appeal based on social support. There are those who steadfastly
refuse to get on a bandwagon, no matter how many other people have already
done so. Choosing the right appeals to fl esh out your persuasive message, there-
fore, is part science and part art.

A Working Example

Knowing what you now know, is there anything else you need to know to pre-
www.mhhe.com/brydon6
pare your persuasive speech? To conclude this chapter, we refer you to the per-
suasive speech of Arjun Buxi, which you can read in the box “In Their Own To view a video of Arjun Buxi’s
Words: Sample Persuasive Speech Alcohol and Truth.” You are encouraged to speech, click on the Speech
Coach link on our Online
watch Arjun’s speech at the Online Learning Center. Learning Center Web site and
We think this speech illustrates a number of the ideas that we have shared to go to Segment 14.1
this point. Arjun, for example, developed his persuasive speech around a topic
that many students perceive as shop-worn: college drinking. Knowing this, his
persuasive purpose clearly refl ected his analysis of the rhetorical situation he
faced.